Grammer.

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning,
Many years ago, the Ex and I were backpacking across Great Britain to see the sights ( carrying everything we owned and bought along the way in a pack on our back and a duffle apiece ) and spending the nights in Bed and Breakfast homes along the way. I wanted to see Bovington for the Tank Museum so we took a train to get close and at the small town at the last stop, we wanted to get a bite. We went into a little fish and chips place and the Mate wanted to use the 'restroom' and asked the owner before he had taken our orders. This was a large and surly looking fellow and he immediately got angry, telling us that we _WERE IN A RESTAURANT_ ( I think he thought that we were denigrating this shop and asking where a real place to eat was at ;o) and that to get out if we thought we was were too good for it. Calmer heads prevailed ( the Mate ) before a scuffle broke out and after a moment, a huge smile split the fellow's craggy features and he said "OH! You guys are Yanks! The Bogs round' back." We had a great meal there and took a taxi out to the Museum and had a GREAT day there. This was back in the days right after George Forty had retired. The Tiger 1 was disassembled but still on display ( they had one of the mock up Tigers from 'Saving Private Ryan' there as well. ) I can imagine that things have changed greatly since then. I bought a shirt and some chocolate from the Museum recently to help support it while it was closed. Cannot wait til' we have weathered this and I can come visit again.
regards,
Painless

[43rdRecceReg]

Yeah, I've learned a little bit about listed properties and there's no way you would get me to buy something like that. We have kind of the same thing over here in different cities that have historical societies that want to dictate everything right down to the color you can paint your house. I would never buy something like that. It's my house I'll do what I want to with it and if somebody's going to give me static about it they can just keep it.

And just for the record, I'm glad that Shaun started this thread because I was thinking of starting something similar, except I was going to call it, "Learning to speak English".

'Or Pedro Carolino's worthy 'English as she is spoke', maybe, Gary.
Learning German first should help to make us appreciate the basic structure of English all the more, and how it has deviated from its German (West Germanic) and Norse (North Germanic) roots in the last 1,000 years.
I posted this vid once before, but it disappeared when the thread it was in was 'redacted'
Here Eddie Izzard, comedian and oddball discovered that he can make himself understood in Friesland (former Homeland of the English, along with Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein)- without learning a word of German

phpBB [video]

[jarndice]

Good morning,
Many years ago, the Ex and I were backpacking across Great Britain to see the sights ( carrying everything we owned and bought along the way in a pack on our back and a duffle apiece ) and spending the nights in Bed and Breakfast homes along the way. I wanted to see Bovington for the Tank Museum so we took a train to get close and at the small town at the last stop, we wanted to get a bite. We went into a little fish and chips place and the Mate wanted to use the 'restroom' and asked the owner before he had taken our orders. This was a large and surly looking fellow and he immediately got angry, telling us that we _WERE IN A RESTAURANT_ ( I think he thought that we were denigrating this shop and asking where a real place to eat was at ;o) and that to get out if we thought we was were too good for it. Calmer heads prevailed ( the Mate ) before a scuffle broke out and after a moment, a huge smile split the fellow's craggy features and he said "OH! You guys are Yanks! The Bogs round' back." We had a great meal there and took a taxi out to the Museum and had a GREAT day there. This was back in the days right after George Forty had retired. The Tiger 1 was disassembled but still on display ( they had one of the mock up Tigers from 'Saving Private Ryan' there as well. ) I can imagine that things have changed greatly since then. I bought a shirt and some chocolate from the Museum recently to help support it while it was closed. Cannot wait til' we have weathered this and I can come visit again.
regards,
Painless

How to tell a Gentleman from a neer do well, The fellow with pretensions will call the "Facility" The Toilet, His lady will call it the Loo,
The Gentleman and his Lady will call it the Lavatory,
When in the company of male friends sometimes the "Crystal Palace" BUT never the "Lav",
That,s for the hoi polloi (You and me )

[Max-U52]

Of course, if you're talking to a sailor he'll probably call it the head, and I imagine most soldiers would call it the latrine.

I wonder how many different names there are for the world famous "John".

[jarndice]

The United States Army may call it the Latrine the British Army call it the Ablutions

[Max-U52]

Ha! Learned a new one.

[jarndice]

Here is yet another example of abusing the English Language,
The British Broadcasting Corporation are advertising a Cricket match between England and Australia as "LIVE" the thing is the match was played in 2009 at Cardiff and with the best will in the World it just cannot be live.
They are also advertising the popular music combo "Bastille" as live at Eden Park,
The band last played that venue in 2017

[Max-U52]

And Roy, I always wondered if Eddie Izzard was slightly insane, now I know.

[Max-U52]

A lot of sayings that the Brits and the Americans have in common have fairly simple differences, like don't get your panties in a bunch, compared to don't get your knickers in a twist. But how would a Brit say, he's crazy as a shithouse rat?

[Carrion]

A lot of sayings that the Brits and the Americans have in common have fairly simple differences, like don't get your panties in a bunch, compared to don't get your knickers in a twist. But how would a Brit say, he's crazy as a shithouse rat?

one word

Female.